title: Microwave Photonics: current challenges towards widespread application.
abstract: Microwave Photonics, a symbiotic field of research that brings together the worlds of optics and radio frequency is currently facing several challenges in its transition from a niche to a truly widespread technology essential to support the ever-increasing values for speed, bandwidth, processing capability and dynamic range that will be required in next generation hybrid access networks. We outline these challenges, which are the subject of the contributions to this focus issue.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Capmany
authors.forename: Guifang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao